September 26, 2011

Is Long Island Wine Country Still a Wine Destination?

Are raucous crowds and dance parties the future of Long Island tasting rooms?

By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor

There was a time not long ago when, if you wanted to find live music at a Long Island winery, you had to do some research. Only a handful of wineries hosted performances on any given weekend. Now, it's more difficult to find a winery without music.

Similarly, you'd rarely find food beyond maybe cheese and bread at a tasting room just a few years ago. You'd certainly never find DJs and dance parties, cover charges or beer trucks. Collectively, I refer to these as winertainment, and it's a growing trend in wine country.

In just 40 short years, the Long Island wine industry has started to cement a reputation as a fine wine region, but what impact could this growing reliance on winertainment have? I guess you could also call it the "bar-ificiation" of wine country, because some local tasting rooms are become more and more like dance clubs and bars every year.

I'm not talking about periodic winery-hosted events -- I'm talking about what goes on during a typical weekend at a winery.

Before you jump to any conclusions, know this: I have extremely mixed feelings about the proliferation of winertainment in Long Island wine country, and here's why:

As a tasting room visitor, it's just not for me. I prefer an environment within which I can taste wine at my own pace, can ask questions without raising my voice and truly evaluate the wines. I could be in a small minority. Winertainment clearly isn't targeting people like me.

Then again, what's not to love about a weekend afternoon in wine country -- out on the lawn with family or friends, a chilled bottle of sauvignon blanc or riesling in a bucket, eating cheese or sandwiches, listening to music, overlooking row after row of vines? Music and food will rarely draw me to a winery, but they can add to the day, for sure. Wine, music and food belong together.

As someone who has an affection for my local wine region and the people who depend on it for their livelihoods, I want the wineries to be successful. I'm not going to tell anyone that they can't or shouldn't explore every revenue stream possible. If the wineries can't sustain themselves and be profitable, they are going to start to vanish. No one wants that. I certainly don't.

But I wonder if winertainment -- once found primarily at less-serious producers that survive at least in part by catering to the bus and limousine crowds -- could negatively impact the region's wines and reputation, no matter the short-term financial benefit.

Tough Times. Tough Decisions.

Times are tough. Making local tasting rooms more attractive to a wider audience makes a lot of sense. It's vital, in fact. And different wineries will go about this differently, depending on their business model

Rich Pisacano from Roanoke Vineyards -- a winery that typically eschews activities that distract customers from the quality of its wines -- feels strongly that it's up to the individual winery to decide how they conduct business. "I think every businessman needs to do whatever they think it takes to improve there business," he said in an email.

Winertainment can be seen as a quick-fix money grab, but it is also an important way to set your business apart -- especially in an industry seen as "snobby" or "uptight" but some.

Peconic Bay Winery has music every weekend and even brings in a Blue Point beer truck for special music performances. For general manager Jim Silver, it's all about differentiation and exposing more people to his wines "Even though the marketplace is not that crowded, we are all competing for essentially the same consumer. Many tourists will plan to go to one or two wineries, but they mostly improvise on the third or fourth place to visit. Of course we want them to come to our place."

Silver hopes that consumers will discover how good his wines are "while listening to a band and being entertained with their friends (and) they’ll buy it or request it when they get home. That is the idea," he added.

Hal Ginsburg, managing partner at Clovis Point told me in an email that "Obviously, there is significant demand for the type of wineertainment that many tasting rooms now employ as evidenced by the fact that they are employing it."

But does winertainment really do what these wineries think it will do? It certainly seems to lead to larger crowds, but is the initial and on-going investment worth it?

Silver, who has had success using winertainment to get more people to visit Peconic Bay than ever before, warns that while the boost in sales looks good on the surface "The cost of handling massive amounts of customers makes the profitability slimmer, and the take away -- the wine -- was smaller, per customer." Silver has begun to reduce the amount of entertainment at Peconic Bay and is now focusing instead on the tasting experience. "The margin for profit, the reduced expenses, and the improved customer experience tell me I am doing the right thing, even though gross revenue is sacrificed," he said.

Evolution and Maturation -- or Regression?

I'm willing to concede that this trend towards more winertainment may be nothing more than the natural evolution of a wine region. Bedell Cellars CEO Trent Preszler thinks so. "The Long Island wine region has matured into a destination where people can enjoy a range of activities -- such as world-class dining, lodging, beaches, and entertainment -- all of which comprise the wine culture and economy here, along with world-class winemaking," he said. Preszler points to Napa Valley as one example of how "in America, world-class winemaking can and does co-exist with and, in fact, anchor the other elements of the wine culture and economy."

Despite that comparison, I'm not convinced that this turn to winertainment isn't a step back for Long Island wine, where for many years, the sole focus has been on pushing wine quality forward. Winertainment isn't new, but more (and traditionally better) producers are turning to it to boost business.

Maybe this is a sign that Long Island hasn't "arrived" as a serious, respected wine region, after all. Maybe it needs to become an agri-tourism destination in addition to -- or instead of -- a wine destination.

Pisacano wonders about that, telling me "Perhaps the recent trend of vineyards focusing on things other than wine is testimony that the region has not yet arrived as a pure wine destination," he said. But Roanoke Vineyards is one winery that won't turn its attention away from the wine itself.

"I learned shortly after opening in 2004 that for long-term success, the vineyard needs to be a place where we enjoy being. We love the relaxed tempo that you'll find at Roanoke Vineyards and I don't want to do anything, even in the name of profit, to ruin that. Red wine is our opening act, our main event and our encore," said Pisacano.

Wine Quality Can Suffer

With so much going on at local tasting rooms, I wonder if some winery owners and managers aren't saying, in essence, "Come listen to music and enjoy yourself.... oh, and we make wine too." If so, that is a terrible message and can easily lead to a scenario where the wine has only to be "good enough."

That has already happened at some local wineries and could spread quickly. Making wine that is "good enough" is easier and cheaper than pushing the quality envelope.

Charles Massoud, co-owner of Paumanok Vineyards, is an outspoken advocate for wine quality above all else. "No matter how you slice it, our region is saying that the North Fork is too beautiful to limit it to wine and since we can, we are going to take it all the way to the bank. In that context wine quality goes out the window and there is no need to be selective, attentive, judicious, skilled, creative, thorough and no need to further invest in better winemaking facilities," he said.

Massoud, who planted his first vines in 1982, laments what he sees as a"pulling back from the passion that characterized the first wave of wine growers," adding "The bottom line for our industry is that it may be missing the boat by losing its focus and dedication on producing higher-quality wines, which are absolutely possible to produce by every one. It is the will and the passion that are disappearing."

Silver isn't as concerned, but warns that pushing down quality to chase quick dollars will "push away future business when the economy rebounds, and it always does."

Are Reputations Really at Stake?

It is impossible to know for sure how winertainment will affect Long Island's wine reputation going forward. In fact, it may not have any effect at all.

Still, many of Long Island's top producers are unwilling to trade in their reputation for short-term gains. "We rely on our reputation as a wine destination to thrive. If our business slides, I don't want it ever to be because the music stopped or the band stinks," said Roanoke Vineyards' Pisacano. Ginsburg echoed those sentiments, telling me "My partners and I got into the business not to run a bar but to produce high-end wines that we want to drink and are proud to pour."

But in such a small region, even those that steer clear of winertainment and keep their focus on the vineyard and in the winery could suffer if the trend continues, if it's true that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Over time, consumers could come to expect the bells and whistles and care less and less about the wine itself.

Many wine country visitors can probably tell the difference between tasting rooms designed as party locations with dance music, excessive drinking and mediocre wine as compared to tasting rooms where the focus is set squarely on the wines themselves. But even if only 10-15% of customers can't tell the difference until it's too late, that's reason for concern.

There are and will continue to be those who lean on winertainment and those who do not. As the number turning to winertainment grows, there are many questions and possible risks. But we likely won't understand the important impacts for many years.

Can Two Long Island Wine Industries Co-Exist?

Maybe Trent Preszler is right. This all might be part of a natural evolution -- the natural progression of a region growing up and reaching adolescence. But maybe we need to recognize this as an step on a path towards two divergent and distinct wine industries on the East End -- wine destinations and agri-tourism destinations.

Can such a dual industry work over the long haul? Maybe. It seems to work fairly well in the Finger Lakes, but there would be many challenges to overcome. Most would likely make things far more difficult for those producers interested in being wine destinations. Split personalities are never good for anyone.

I’d tend to agree - after all the time LI wineries have put into focusing on the quality of their wines and developing our region’s reputation, I would hate to see such a reputation squandered by directing the focus elsewhere, or by making the wine tasting experience less enjoyable for those of us who are there for that purpose - wine tasting. Sure, special events taking place at wineries need food, music, entertainment, etc., and of course wineries are free to decide how they’d like to generate business and cash flow, but perhaps they’d want to consider the downside to focusing on entertainment as opposed to the integrity of tasting rooms and the purpose of a tasting room. And I do understand everyone’s entitled to their own opinion on this matter.

This is probably all mostly because of the original LIWC "Jazz on the Vine" series (which in concept, is great). If more people show up for the days with music, clearly some wineries are looking to profit off this more than others. I'm guessing it's mostly the ones who have always had the "bring them in by the bus load" atmosphere. So has anything really changed?

When we visit, which isn't often enough, my husband and I tend to go to the "quieter" wineries like Paumanok or Old Field. We do enjoy Macari's wines, however, and we will try and hit them on a Friday vs a Saturday to avoid the party buses.

I agree Len. I love supporting local LI wine as a member in various wineclubs. However, if they turn too heavily into the "winentertainment" business, I'll unfortunately also seriously consider cancelling them as needed.

Its a good question Lenn, but as you allude to there is not necessarily a correct answer. Is it important to lure the crowds?...or is it just distracting from the wine? I happen to think its the former. As you mention, wine and music go together. But then again, if places are choosing "dance music", (which I personally have not experienced), then that might not really be a good thing.

Obviously this is not just an issue on LI but an many wine regions. We tend to look for quieter tasting experiences and avoid the crowds. I can't imagine the winemakers will compromise what they produce but the experience may be lessoned for many of us.

Lenn, great post. We have the same set of issues here in Virginia (although so far, no beer trucks). Like NY, there are wineries at each end of the spectrum and some in the middle attempting to strike a balance. Kudos especially to Jim Silver for being honest about the pitfalls of too much wine tourism - that takes guts!

I personally don't feel that there is any inherent synergy between wine and music. My wife and I and our friends seek out the tasting rooms where the focus is entirely on the wines and the natural beauty and sounds of our blessed North Fork. We are grateful for the serious winemakers and we express our gratitude with our patronage. As for the personal rights of the vineyards to choose the degree of their winertainment: in a word, yes. But this has to be weighed against the cumulative impression such a circus atmosphere would make for our region. I think that the image of the North Fork as a wine region is at stake, and we all have a stake in that image.

There is some undue deference here to those members of the industry endorsing this kind of environment. Is it the live and let live attitude of american winemaking (v. the more patrimonial and delineated european ideal) that is allowing these sort of concessions? Fear of further regulations and oversight? Over-empowered business and financial arms?
There is obviously more depth to this issue than i am familiar with and i feel the wine community would be better served by industry members who choose not to be mum or backhanded about the whole thing.

Three regions I am familiar with all began wine production approximately 40 years ago. All have cool region climates; Sta. Rita Hills/Lompoc in Santa Barbara County, Willamette Valley in Oregon and Long Island. All have had visionary pioneer wine producers, impassioned winemakers, dedicated proprietors and supportive agricultural communities. The distinct difference is unlike in Long Island neither the California nor Oregon regions have a business model that made retail sales at the winery the key to their success. As such the West Coast wineries have had tasting rooms as a means to promote interest in their wines and in the region, not as the primary point of sale for their wines. Their financial bottom line is based on wholesale sales, distribution and marketing, and then national and international sales and the ancillary critical review. That process has resulted in continuing improvements in quality, rationalization of types of wines offered for sale and eventually international recognition. Both regions now have sustainable wine tourism based upon visitors that are primarily wine enthusiasts. Yes, they do have wine festivals and wine promotions, but most are off-site and in cooperation with other vineyards and wineries, leaving the wineries and tasting rooms to be places that one can discuss the wines with educated hosts and winemaking professionals. The Long Island wineries business model requires tasting rooms and wine club sales for retail sales, as most Long Island wines currently cannot be purchased at retail beyond New York City area. Therefore customer volume in the tasting rooms is directly related to revenues. Winentertainment is a consequence of this business model, particularly in difficult economic times.

As you write, there are serious winemakers and proprietors at both the winentertainmnet establishments and the classic wineries. While there may be no right or wrong approach, as long as Long Island wine is almost exclusively sold locally rather than being distributed, sold and tested in the national and international marketplace, there will always be a cloud over its claim to be world class.

FYI: J.Silver has nothing to do about the music at Peconic Bay Winery, I started the trend of having music every weekend and I am the one that created the NOFO music fest. We also make sure that if you don't want to listen to music you could stay inside where it is quiet and about the wine. There are a lot of wineries here and everyone can find what kind of entertainment they are looking for.
I am sick and tired hearing lies from this lazy moron (J.Silver) at PBW, every one out here knows the truth.
Pascal Zugmeyer
Z Wine Guy

Len: I think you're spot on with your assessment. Thank you for contributing to the discussion.

Pascal: I'd like to point you to our long-established comment policy: http://www.lenndevours.com/comments-policy.html Under that policy, I could delete your comment, but I'd hate to do that. However, I'd ask that in the future you please refrain from personal attacks against other members of our community.

Well said, Anon: "undue deference" provoked my thinking about the root causes of persistent mediocrity on the North Fork. In a region that has always had everything going for it in both natural and human resources, it is only very recently that great wine, food and hospitality have emerged. One could argue that it took a decisive demographic shift to encourage this, but in my personal experience it has been through the will of passionate people with the intelligence and vision to make great wines, great food and resist the easy bucks. The fact remains that I have never read a negative review of a North Fork restaurant or wine in a local paper in my life, despite some very bad meals and bottles, indeed. It's protectionism, pure and simple, in a small place where everyone knows everybody else, and although this may have its charm, this attitude prevents any commercial incentive to improve. It does harm in that consumers, tourist and local alike, aren't spared bad experiences that cumulatively will hurt the image of our North Fork.

Lenn,
For a region to be taken seriously as a fine wine region IMO the majority of its players need to focus on the quality not the quantity nor entertainment value. Is it possible to have it both ways, maybe. Unfortunately many wineries are not distributed the way they are in California. So the only way to have a successful business model is to figure out how to get people to your door. Winertainment is one of them as well as wine clubs as a source of continued sales. To sustain the region and compete for the dollars of those visiting, more and more will see the bottom line slipping and possibly cave into the winertainment model. It’s easy to do, but if the core philosophy changes to making wine that is just good enough the region as a whole will take a hit. Having just spent 3 days there over the last weekend and talking and visiting with some of the folks you quote, I see the dilemma the region faces. I chose to stay away from the music and crowds and focused on the more perceived quality producers. I was very pleased at the quality I found.
We read the LI wine guide calendar of events while there and could not believe some of the events being put on. I think that the competition for wine sales is driving events such as smores and wine over a campfire, all of the dog events and such.
The limo/party crowd will detract from visitors who want a wine experience as opposed to a party. These folks will potentially stop coming out there (also the ones most likely are willing to part with their dollars for higher quality wines). Those who are making just good enough wine will hurt the entire community in a way and limit the development of the East end as a fine wine region. It’s hard enough to get taken seriously as opposed to the west coast let alone adopting the winertainment approach.
Full disclosure, I have worked in the retail side at a winery where festivals and music events were/are a core element of our business model in trying to get people to our door where we now sell 85 % of our wine. We tried the outside sales force approach beating on retailers and restaurant doors as well as having a large distributor, but found it such an effort to penetrate the market due to being an East coast winery regardless of quality. We try to balance the event side with serious wine education that gives us a sense that we are not just about winertertainment.
Is it possible to be taken seriously as a quality producer while having all these events? The answer is yes but a balance must be found. LI needs to find that balance.

As a winery with two tasting rooms, we strive to balance a comfortable tasting environment with a fun atmosphere. Although we steer away from "winetertainment", we do accommodate large groups by appointment with allotted space for walk-in customers. We have compensated for this with our tasting room layout which now includes three separate tasting areas at the Mattituck winery. This allows us to help large groups of tasters from all different types of tours and organizations that are looking for a unique and relaxed tasting experience just like the rest of us. Just because a winery is busy should not dissuade a couple oenophiles looking for an informative and educational tasting. At Macari, we pride ourselves on customer service/appreciation and strive to provide this for each and every person that comes through our doors. The fact that a business accepts large buses and limos without this winetertainment is a testament to the quality and diversity of its wine portfolio. I think a balance can be reached and that each individual winery on the North Fork should take its own approach to getting people in the doors. It would be extremely mundane if every tasting room out here offered the exact same format for tasting/entertainment(i.e. a quiet library like environment). It might appeal to a wine professional; but that isn't for everyone. These inherent differences in a winery's approach is what makes us a fun "destination" to begin with. We wish each and every partner in our small community nothing but success in whichever direction it chooses.